The Youngstown Phantoms are a member of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the premier junior ice hockey league in the country. The Ohio-based team competes in the Eastern Conference, which they won during the 2014-15 season, and they were the league runner-up during the 2017-2018 season. In 2016, the Phantoms promoted assistant coach Brad Patterson to head coach. The team plays their action-packed home games at the Covelli Centre, a venue located in Youngstown with a seating capacity of 5,700 for hockey. The arena opened in 2005 and books a wide variety of music, sports and family-oriented events.

Youngstown Phantoms History

The Youngstown Phantoms franchise dates back to 2003, when the team was part of the North Division of the North American Hockey League. Initially, the team played home games in the Youngstown suburb of Boardman, at the Boardman Ice Zone. In 2005, the team changed its name to the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, the moniker it used through 2009. That same year, as the team moved to the USHL and started playing home games at the Covelli Centre, the franchise changed its name back to the Youngstown Phantoms. Over the years, the team has made playoff appearances in both the North American Hockey League and United States Hockey League, where they advanced to later rounds multiple times.

The franchise has been home to dozens of athletes drafted by NHL teams, including defenseman Scott Mayfield, who was chosen in the 2011 draft by the New York Islanders and still plays for the team, as well as forwards Nathan Walker and Maxim Letunov, and goalie Matthew Mahalak. Brandon Saad, a forward for the Colorado Avalanche who was part of the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup-winning team in 2013, also played for the Phantoms.